An unusual robbery has shocked the wine industry in Italy, where thieves have managed to steal around 30 bottles of luxury wine, with a total value of nearly 5 million euros, from one of the most prestigious wineries in Tuscany.
The target was Marchesi Antinori, a family-owned company with a history dating back to 1385. According to Italian media, the robbery took place on Saturday at the warehouse premises as the company was preparing to ship a shipment to customers abroad.
At least seven masked men are suspected of disabling the alarm system and security cameras, before using the company's forklifts to load two large trucks with wine bottles.
Among the stolen products were the popular Italian wines Tignanello, Solaia and Guado al Tasso, which are considered among the producer's most prized labels. Bottles of these wines typically sell for between 150 and 500 euros each.
The company's executive director, Renzo Cotarella, described the event as the largest theft of this type recorded in Italy.
He expressed hope that authorities will be able to track down the trucks and recover at least some of the stolen goods, noting that the roads of Tuscany are equipped with security cameras.
The company suspects that the perpetrators had specialized knowledge of wines and may have had inside information, given the selection of high-value products.
The theft was discovered when employees arrived at the warehouse. So far, no arrests have been reported.
Marchesi Antinori is one of the historic names in the Italian wine industry, exporting its products to 170 countries and last year recording revenues of 263 million euros.
The incident comes at a time when Italy is facing several similar robberies, including cases in the Piedmont region, where bottles worth hundreds of thousands of euros have been reported stolen.
